Multirate meter.



No. 679,472. Patented luly 30, I90l. F. P. COX & C. E. HOLMES.

MULTIRATE METER.

(Application fllad Dec. 4, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shaot l.

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No. 679,472. Patented July so, nsoL r. P. cox & c. E. HOLMES.

HULTIRATE METER.

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No. 679,472. Patented July 30, I90l. F. P. BOX 81. C. E. HOLMES.

MULTIRATE METER.

. (Application filed Dec. 4, 1899.)

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(No Model.)

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK P. COX AND CHARLES E. HOLMES, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, AS- SIGNORS TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

MULTIRATE METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,472, dated July 30, 1901.

Application filed December 4:, 1899. Serial No. 739,066. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK P. COX and CHARLES E. HoLMns, citizens of the United States, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multirate Meters, (Case No. 761,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a clock-controlled meter the recording devices of which may be changed at determinate hours fixed by the supply company, according to the station-load, and thus to make it possible to promote the freer use of current by consumers by offering a discount for use of current during periods of light load. Various types of multirate meters have been devised to this end.

The present invention comprises an organization in which a clock, preferably self-winding, is employed to throw a meter-motor into clutch with one or the other of two counters during the periods of light and heavy load, respectively. The meter-motor is actuated by the current supplied to the consumers circuit and may be of any approved typesuch as the well-known Thomson recording wattmeter, the rotary member of which maybe clutched into operative relation at set hours by the timepiece with a particular counter corresponding to the average condition of the station-load at that hour of the day.

The several features of novelty of the invention will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and will be definitely indicated in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus embodying our improvements, the front part of the cover being removed to show the operative parts. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the relation of the clutch-controlling mechanism to the clock. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the mechanism. Fig. 4: is a top plan view of part of the clutchcontrolling mechanism. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the controlling-clock. Fig. 6 is a top plan View of the same, and Fig. 7 is a detail of the circuit-closing device controlling the winding of the clock.

1 1 represent the field-coils, and 2 the armature, of a well-kn own type of meter-motor, such as that employed in the Thomson recording-wattmeter. The coils 1 are put in series relation to the consumers translating devices, aud the armature 2 in a shunt-circuit including a portion of the field-winding or an auxiliary coil 3 in such field to overcome the starting friction of the motor and including also an auxiliary resistance 4. The speed of the motor is dampened by a disk of metal 5, secured to the spindle on which the armature is mounted, which disk moves in a magnetic field established by one or more permanent magnets. These parts are well understood in the art and require no elaborate description.

We provide on the armature spindle a worm, (indicated in dotted lines at 6 in Fig. 3,) with which gears a spur-wheel 7, communicating motion to a train of wheels in gear with two loose wheels 8 8, turning, respec tively, on shafts in gear with two recordingdials 9 9. On the shafts which control the operation of the counting mechanism of the dial are splined sleeves 1O 10, thrust forward in a direction to engage the loose wheels 8 8 by a coiled spring 11 11*. The clutching-face 12 12 may be covered with leather or some suitable yielding gripping material to establish a good frictional relation between the wheels 8 8 and the clutch-disk when the two are in engagement. The clutching relation is established by means of a lever 13, controlled by the clock. Two arms of this lever extend into a groove in the clutch disks, shifting them alternately into and out of clutching relation to the coperating gearwheels, according to the position of the lever. As shown in the drawings, Fig. 3, the clutchpiece 10 has been released and thrust by its spring into engagement with the gear-wheel 8*,tbereby locking the latter to the shaft on which it is mounted and bringing the dial 9 into operative relation to the meter. The wheel 8 is free to turn on its shaft, and the counter 9 is not therefore actuated; but it will be noted that the counter is locked against movement by the friction of lever 13 against sleeve 10. Thus immediately on the clutch being disconnected from either wheel 8 or 8 the counter is stopped. Conversely, when the metermotor is clutched to the counter no frictional resistance to movement except that of the counter-wheel train is made, since the lever 13 is then disconnected'frorn theclutch' disk. The clutching-lever 13 is controlled by a clock in a manner which will be understood from an examination of Figs. 2 and 4. The main shaft of the clock communicates motion to two adjustable disks provided with projecting lugs 14 15, adapted to engage a stud 16 on a pivoted lever communicating motion to a ratchet-wheel 17 17 A gearwheel is fixed to the ratchet-wheels and engages the pinion 18, the gear relation being such that for one tooth movement of the ratchet-wheel the pinion 18 will make onehalf a revolution. Mounted on the arbor of the pinion is an eccentric connecting through a piece of fiber or other insulating material 19 with; a crank 20, forming the operating member of the controlling member of the clutchlever. The engaging faces of the lugs 14 and 15 and the pin 16 are beveled to promote a smooth movement of the lever which actuates the ratchet-wheel. The lever is pulled forward by a spring, as indicated in Fig. 2, and

is provided with two pawls 21 21 engaging the ratchet-wheel '17 17, respectively, one pawl acting to push the ratchet-wheel one tooth forward and the other as a stop-pawl to limit the range of movement.

'In'frictional relation to the main shaft of the clock is a train of gears similar to that which operates the hour and minute hands of an ordinary clock-movement, the gearing being so designed that a disk 22, showing from the front of the movement, will make one complete revolution in twenty-four hours. The disk is divided into two sets of divisions, from 1 to 12, respectively, representing the hours of day and night. Frictionally clamped to this disk by means of a thumbnut 23 are two metallic disks, from which extend the projections 14 and 15, respectively, which actuate the meter clutch. A cupshaped washer 24 clamps the main shaft of the clock into frictional relation to the gearing which operates the setting-disk 22. A pointer 25 acts both as an index and as a means of adjusting the clock for controlling the meter for any desired hours. The setting may be effected by shifting the dial-disk 22 by means of the hand 25 until the hour at which the adjustment is made registers with the pin 16. The thumb-nut 23 is then loos ened and the disks 14 and 16 set on the respective hours on opposite sides of the dialdisk at which it is desired that the meter shall change adjustment. 'For example, suppose the-period of maximum load on the system starts at six p. m. and lasts until five a. m.,'

and suppose the time when the apparatus is set is twelve noon. The dial is shifted until the hour 12 registers with the pin 16 and the lugs 14 and 15 shifted until they register with the hours 6 and 5, respectively, on opposite halves of the disk.

The clock is made continuously operative by not of our invention.

26 represents the mainspring-barrel, containing a coil-spring, one end of which is fixed to the barrel and the other end to the main shaft of the clock. This spring is periodically Wound by means of a ratchet-wheel 2'7, provided with a check-pawl 28 and a windingpawl 28, the latter carried upon a forked lever loosely journaled on the arbor of the ratchet-wheel, engaging at its forked extremity a pin 29, secured to a projection carried by a yoke-shaped armature 30, pinioned to rock across the pole-faces of an electromagnet 31. At opposite limits of the movement of the armature are two coil-springs 32 32 which assist the armature to rebound after being shifted by the action of the magnet. The magnet is periodically cut into circuit by .a circuit-controller mounted on the main shaft of the clock, and when the circuit is closed at the circuit-controller the vibration of the armature is effected by means of a circuitbreaker automatically opened and closed by the action of the armature similar to an ordinary rheoto'me, an insulated projection of the armature engaging the leaf-spring contact 33, in the path of movement of which is a cooperating spring 34, these two springs forming terminals of the circuit. In order to subdue the spark, the armature-coils may be shunted by a high-resistance coil 35. On the main shaft of the clock is loosely mounted a sector 36, (see Fig. 7,) adapted to bridge two contact-springs 37 37 when shifted under them. This constitutes the circuit-controller by which the winding of the clock is determined. On a collar 38, (see Figs. 6 and,7,) secured to the mainspring-arbor, is fixed a pin 39. When the mainspring needs winding, the pin engages the circuit-closing sector 36, which is loosely journaled on the arbor, and brings it under the contact-springs 37 37. The magnet 31 then automatically pushes the notched wheel 27 step by step, winding the mainspring. During the winding operation a pin 40 on the barrel engages a lug 41, projecting from a loose sleeve, and carries it around until it strikes a piece of insulating material 42, securedto the segment 36, and then forces the segment around the arbor out of contact with springs 37 37, breaking the circuit. The clock is thus kept permanently wound. The circuit, in cluding the winding-magnet, includes a high resistance 43, Fig. 1, and is derived from the meter terminals leading first to one of the contact-springs 37 which is insulated from the clock-frame, then when the circuit IIO is closed to spring 37 and the frame, to automatic circuit-breaker contact 34, to insulated contact 33, magnet 31, insulated terminal 44, back to the other meter-terminal.

The two registers may, if desired, be geared to provide different recording rates or may have the same recording rate, the discount being applied to the one corresponding to periods of light station-load.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A multirate meter comprising two dialtrains, a meter-motor, means for periodically and alternately connecting a clutch with the several dial-trains, either dial-train being locked against rotation when disconnected from the clutch.

2. A multirate meter comprising two dialtrains, a meter-motor, a clutch for engaging either dial-train, a clock and setting devices for operating the clutch at determinate hours i to alternately release and engage the several dial-trains, either dialtrain being locked against rotation when disconnected from the clutch.

3. A multirate meter, comprising two counters, a meter-motor, sliding clutches on the driving-shaft of the counters having a normal bias toward an element driven by the metermotor, and a periodically-driven shifting device engaging either clutch when disengaged from the motor, but disengaged when connected with the motor.

4. A multirate meter comprising two dialtrains, a metermotor operated at a speed varying with current consumed, spring-actuated clutch-shoes on the dial-trains impelled toward engaging relation to the motor, and a rockinglever operated periodically by a clock to alternately release the clutch-shoes.

5. A multirate meter comprising two dialtrains, a meter-motor operated at a speed varying with current consumed, spring-actuated clutch-shoes on the dial-train impelled toward engaging relation to the motor, and a rocking lever operated periodically by a clock to alternately release the clutch-shoes.

6. A multirate meter comprising a plurality of dial-trains, a sliding spring-retracted clutch-shoe on a shaft of each train, a metermotor geared to the several dial-trains when the clutch is released, and a clock-operated lever for operating the clutches, said lever being disconnected from the dial-trains when in clutch but adapted to arrest their move- -ment when out of clutch.

7. A multirate meter comprising a plurality of dial-trains, a sliding spring-retracted clutch-shoe on a shaft of each trainin driving relation thereto, said shoe having a grippingface, a loose gear on each train continuously connected to the meter-moton'and means for shifting the clutches to engage the loose gear at determinate hours.

In witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands this 1st day of December, 1899.

FRANK P. COX. CHARLES HOLMES. Vitnesses:

DUGALD MoKILLoP, HENRY O. WESTENDARP. 

